Chrysler is cascading its stop-start system in the NAFTA region to certain versions of the Jeep Cherokee and Chrysler 200 later this year, promising fuel-economy improvements of up to 3% (and a corresponding reduction in CO2 emissions) over the conventional models.

GE Aviation recently broke ground for its new machining factory in West Jefferson, NC. The new 80,000-ft² expansion will allow for increased capacity as the shop assumes additional machining work. The increase in volume is driven largely by orders for the new LEAP jet engine of CFM International, a 50:50 joint company of GE and Snecma (Safran) of France.

Boeing opened a new research and technology center to work with Brazilian researchers and scientists to develop aerospace technologies. The new Boeing Research & Technology-Brazil (BR&T-Brazil) center is focused on sustainable aviation biofuel development, advanced air traffic management, remote sensing, advanced metals and bio-materials, and support and services technologies.

Autonomous vehicles are a hot topic, most noticeably in the automotive world. But automated driving/operation is making significant headway in the off-highway realm as well, especially in mining applications. John Williamson of Komatsu America Corp. and Serge Lambermont of Delphi Electronics & Safety provide some insights on the topic.

JCB will be supplying high-speed backhoe loaders to the U.S. Army under a $50 million contract. The High Mobility Engineer Excavators (HMEEs) will be manufactured at JCB’s North American plant in Savannah, GA, and will be delivered by 2017.

The 2015 Mustang will feature a new design of an inflatable knee airbag, Ford announced June 20. Packaged inside the glove box, the new airbag provides protection comparable to its traditional counterparts, according to a release from Ford, but is 65% lighter and features an inflator that is 75% smaller, allowing for more room in the interior.

Denso announced Thursday the promotion of Doug Patton to Executive Vice President of Engineering and Chief Technical Officer of Denso International America Inc. (DIAM). Additionally, Patton (SAE member, 1987) was also appointed Senior Director of Denso Corp.

CFM International has initiated ground testing of the first all-new LEAP-1B engine that will exclusively power the Boeing 737 MAX. CFM ran the engine for the first time on June 13, three days ahead of schedule.

A new electrohydraulic power steering system uses pump displacement control, eliminating throttling losses associated with hydraulic control valves by controlling the displacement of a variable displacement pump.

Three high-performance thermoplastics from Victrex have been added to the Digimat-MX material and modeling database to accelerate the application development process while helping to minimize component weight and costs.

Lack of voice recognition and clumsy Bluetooth pairing were cited by owners of new vehicles as being among the most common type of problems they experience in the first 90 days of vehicle ownership, according to the J.D. Power 2014 Initial Quality Study (IQS).

A group of aerodynamicists from Tesla chose Exa’s PowerFLOW CFD software to examine two alternative methods of simulating aerodynamic performance in the presence of realistic on-road crosswind for the Tesla Model S sedan.

Motivated by the untapped potential of high-performance computing tools for engine simulations, personnel from Convergent Science, Caterpillar Inc., and Argonne National Laboratory combined forces to carry out a series of engine simulations including a simulation of nearly 34 million cells that is believed to be the largest-ever diesel engine simulation.

TRW Automotive has launched its next-generation seatbelt retractor, the Floating Spool 1 (FS1), which offers reduced weight (about 15% lighter) and smaller dimensions compared to previous systems, according to the company. Production of the global FS1 technology starts in the second quarter of 2014.

Industry experts at Hyundai and Ford address the opportunities and challenges involved with moving toward composite-intensive vehicles. The Ford Multi-Material Lightweight Vehicle project, a collaboration with the U.S. DOE and Vehma International, illustrates the automaker's efforts to move toward lighter-weight materials such as carbon fiber, aluminum, and advanced high-strength steels.

SAE International and the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) have signed a two-year memorandum of understanding to build a cooperative partnership in the standardization of vehicle electronics and consumer electronics products to improve the driving experience.

Volvo is making Dirac's "active acoustic treatment of the listening space" technology (called Unison) available in the new XC90 with the Bowers & Wilkins audio system. According to Dirac, Unison co-optimizes the loudspeakers in frequency, time, and space for the "best possible bass integration and clarity."

Freudenberg-NOK Sealing Technologies has appointed Dr. Theodore G. Duclos (SAE Member, 1985) Acting President of its North America organization, effective June 11, 2014. He succeeds Bradley Norton, who recently announced his departure from the company to pursue other professional opportunities.

The cause of the issue was an error in the process Ford engineers used to correlate wind-tunnel testing into their Total Road Load Horsepower (TRLHP) factor that is key to the vehicle fuel economy models that are ultimately submitted to the U.S. EPA.